Pozzato forced to withdraw from Amstel Gold Race due to knee problem

Filippo Pozzato’s goal of winning one of the spring Classics have gone up in smoke with the news that he has been forced to withdraw from tomorrow’s Amstel Gold Race.

The Italian rider finished second to Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma Quick Step) in the Ronde Van Vlaanderen, then went to Paris-Roubaix aiming to go one place better. He missed the crucial move, though, and then crashed, hurting his knee.

It is this injury which has forced him to cancel is scheduled participation in tomorrow’s Amstel Gold Race.

"This morning Pozzato has tried to train for three and a half hours, but the pain and discomfort in the knee are such as to prevent him from riding and to train properly, at least for another few days,” explained team doctor Daniele Tarsi.

The rider had targeted Milan-Sanremo and the Northern Classics, and worked hard to be in shape. He crashed in the Tour of Qatar and broke his collarbone, yet managed to come back and finish sixth in Sanremo.

The runner-up slot in Flanders showed he was back to his best; in fact, if he had been more aggressive and not gone head-to-head with Boonen in the final sprint, he might have won.

Now he’s been forced to shift focus to his next objective. “"I regret not being in the race. These events should always be honored,” he said. “But I’ll try to get back to my best and will make an appointment with the Giro d’Italia. I want to do well on home roads.”

Pozzato won a stage in the Giro two years ago, while racing with the Katusha team. His Farnese Vini Selle Italia squad has a wildcard to the race and will bank on riders such as the Italian and 2011 stage victor Oscar Gatto to chase success there.